What started as routine wildlife assistance took an extraterrestrial turn for Utah's Department of Public Safety after officers stumbled upon a mysterious monolith in the middle of rural Utah.
Officers from the Utah Department of Public Safety's Aero Bureau were flying by helicopter last Wednesday, helping the Division of Wildlife Resources count bighorn sheep in southeastern Utah, when they spotted something that seemed right out of "2001: A Space Odyssey."
"One of the biologists ... spotted it, and we just happened to fly directly over the top of it," pilot Bret Hutchings told CNN affiliate KSL. "He was like, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa, turn around, turn around!' And I was like, 'What.' And he's like, 'There's this thing back there -- we've got to go look at it!'" [Reply]
As mysteriously as it came, the world-famous Utah obelisk illegally installed in a San Juan County redrock slot canyon disappeared Friday night, the Bureau of Land Management confirmed. Photos show that whoever removed the sculpture left only a triangular hole and a piece of metal — but the many visitors who flocked to the remote site over the week of Thanksgiving also left evidence of their journeys behind.
On Sunday, the BLM said in a news release that people “parked on vegetation and left behind human waste” when visiting the undeveloped site, which is not equipped with a designated parking lot or restrooms. Photos the agency tweeted Sunday show where the shining steel pillar once stood, as well as a group of vehicles parked off a dirt road in sagebrush, the red landscape scarred by crisscrossing tire tracks, and what could be a piece of toilet paper sticking out of the ground.
Driving off designated roads and trails in the Monticello Field Office is illegal, the BLM also said.
BLM officials recommended Sunday that people do not attempt to visit the former location of the obelisk, also called the “monolith,” saying the canyon doesn’t have the services to support crowds.
“We recognize the incredible interest the ‘monolith’ has generated worldwide. Many people have been enjoying the mystery and view it as a welcome distraction from the 2020 news cycle,” said Monticello Field Manager Amber Denton Johnson in the release. “Even so, it was installed without authorization on public lands and the site is in a remote area without services for the large number of people who now want to see it. Whenever you visit public lands please follow Leave No Trace principles and federal and local laws and guidance.”
The obelisk has been there since at least 2016, according to Google satellite images. And so far, no one has claimed to be its creator or claimed to have removed it. [Reply]
As mysteriously as it came, the world-famous Utah obelisk illegally installed in a San Juan County redrock slot canyon disappeared Friday night, the Bureau of Land Management confirmed. Photos show that whoever removed the sculpture left only a triangular hole and a piece of metal — but the many visitors who flocked to the remote site over the week of Thanksgiving also left evidence of their journeys behind.
On Sunday, the BLM said in a news release that people “parked on vegetation and left behind human waste” when visiting the undeveloped site, which is not equipped with a designated parking lot or restrooms. Photos the agency tweeted Sunday show where the shining steel pillar once stood, as well as a group of vehicles parked off a dirt road in sagebrush, the red landscape scarred by crisscrossing tire tracks, and what could be a piece of toilet paper sticking out of the ground.
Driving off designated roads and trails in the Monticello Field Office is illegal, the BLM also said.
BLM officials recommended Sunday that people do not attempt to visit the former location of the obelisk, also called the “monolith,” saying the canyon doesn’t have the services to support crowds.
“We recognize the incredible interest the ‘monolith’ has generated worldwide. Many people have been enjoying the mystery and view it as a welcome distraction from the 2020 news cycle,” said Monticello Field Manager Amber Denton Johnson in the release. “Even so, it was installed without authorization on public lands and the site is in a remote area without services for the large number of people who now want to see it. Whenever you visit public lands please follow Leave No Trace principles and federal and local laws and guidance.”
The obelisk has been there since at least 2016, according to Google satellite images. And so far, no one has claimed to be its creator or claimed to have removed it.
What does Black Lives Matter have to do with this...:-) [Reply]
There was no obvious indication of who erected these monoliths. Utah state officials poked fun at the idea that aliens left behind the structure.
"It is illegal to install structures or art without authorization on federally managed public lands, no matter what planet you're from," the division said in a statement. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Rain Man:
I enjoyed this quote from the article.
There was no obvious indication of who erected these monoliths. Utah state officials poked fun at the idea that aliens left behind the structure.
"It is illegal to install structures or art without authorization on federally managed public lands, no matter what planet you're from," the division said in a statement.
Im 90 percent sure Eisenhower gave themsome passes in the Green/Grey treaty post wwII. Cant confirm but pretty sure. [Reply]
